CLARK, Pampanga – Emirates, the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, has expanded its Travel Rehearsal program to Clark International Airport, giving neurodiverse children and their families the opportunity to become familiar with every stage of the airport journey.
This marks Emirates’ second travel rehearsal in the Philippines, following the first in Cebu in June, as part of Emirates’ commitment to making travel more accessible for all.
The program has brought together 22 students, their parents and guardians, and eight teachers from Hand Prints School of Progressive Education and Beyond Play Learning Center for a guided walkthrough of airport procedures and the travel process.
During the three-hour rehearsal, participants were guided through key stages of the airport journey, from check-in and immigration to security screening, the departure concourse and a simulated boarding process at the gate. Along the way, Emirates personnel and airport partners explained each stage of travel, answered questions from families and introduced participants to the airport teams they would typically encounter during their journey.
For many neurodiverse children, the unfamiliar sights, sounds and routines of an airport can be overwhelming. Experiencing the airport journey in advance helps make the process more familiar, while giving parents and caregivers a clearer understanding of what to expect when they travel together.
The rehearsal was made possible through the collaboration of Clark International Airport, customer service teams, border control, the Office for Transportation Security and Emirates’ airline ground handling partner, who worked together to deliver the end-to-end airport experience.
Khalid Al Zarooni, Emirates’ country manager for the Philippines, said, “Making travel more inclusive starts long before a customer boards a flight. It means recognising that every traveller experiences the airport differently and working with our partners to make travel more accessible. We’re pleased to bring the Travel Rehearsal program to Clark and hope it encourages more families to see travel as something they can enjoy together.”
Emirates became the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline in 2025 after more than 35,000 cabin crew and ground staff completed specialised autism awareness training. The training equips employees with a deeper understanding of autism, sensory sensitivities and practical ways to support customers with accessible travel requirements.
Since April 2025, Emirates’ Airport Services teams have organised more than 40 Travel Rehearsals across airports in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Americas, in addition to the airline’s Dubai hub. Travel Rehearsals have since been conducted in cities including Accra, Athens, Bali, Barcelona, Brussels, Cebu, Christchurch, Da Nang, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Paris, Sydney, Toronto and Vienna, with more locations joining the program across Emirates’ global network.
